Black and Bright

[rohan.oberoi at CORNELL.EDU]

VC Bothra wrote:

>Pan-Indian culture and society has always been knowledge based.  In
>Jainism, the worshipped ideals (Tirthankars) are equated with Sun and
>ignorance with Darkness. Thus the Sun destroys Darkness.  It is said
>that ignorance is the root of all evil.  This, IMHO, is the
>connection between evil->darkness->black.  Also the root of black
>getting associated with bad/evil/devil.  And not the racial or colour
>bias that has come into prominence due to recent western imperial
>dominance. As a matter of fact, Lord Krishna has been described in
>the epics to have had a dark wheatish complexion.  I think the depth,
>vastness and complexity of Indian culture requires a more detailed
>and discplined study in an "Indian" context which must take into
>account the profound philosophical background.

This is a wholly unconvincing argument.  One example from Jainism
which, if Mr. Bothra states it correctly, is an equation of light/good
dark/evil that is not unique either to Jainism or to India, does not
prove that racial and colour bias arose in India only after and
because of Western imperial dominance.

Regards,
Rohan.